The diplomat took the BMW with him on his foreign mission, but then decided that the car was too unique to use it for everyday driving. He drove the shining E24 on the road on warm, sunny days only. One may tell nice stories about Edward Munch’s country but cannot say that such weather configuration occurs there very often. So, instead of being on the road, the car mostly stood in his garage.

When, after the years of his diplomatic mission, the ambassador knew that the time to return to the fatherland was near, he took a decision not to take his car with him and sell it. The BMW ended up in the hands of a Porsche collector, who had no far-reaching plans associated with the comfortable ‘Bavarian’, but rather considered it a sound investment opportunity and hoped to cash it in soon. The car’s mileage proved the low-intensity use; the odometer showed 52000 km. So, they did not stop to think about it for too long at the Bonaventura Classic Collection.

Although everything pointed to its history’s authenticity, they checked the vehicle very carefully, scrutinising its history to date, its mechanics, the credibility of its visual condition. In a word, they screened it thoroughly. The verdict was unambiguous: we were dealing with a car that was extremely hard to find, and moreover, it was maintained perfectly well and with proven past, free of any awkward surprises. After the purchase decision in the year 2023, the new exhibit enriched the Collection. The only work they needed to do having acquired the car was just detailing, installing the original metric wheels and repairing minor things.

The car in the collection comes from 1988, but the BMW E24’s history starts much earlier. Its debut took place in March 1976. The beginnings were difficult. The car was expensive, which is not reprehensible per se, but the fact that clients – having paid so much money – kept complaining about shortcomings and manufacturing defects was inacceptable. The BMW management could not and wished not to sweep it under the carpet. They terminated their cooperation with the Karmann company responsible for manufacturing the defected units and moved the production to the BMW plant in Dingolfing. However, the word ‘termination’ is not adequate here, because Karmann continued to participate in the creation of the fast coupe, but its contribution then consisted of the delivery of ready-made car bodies.

In hindsight, one can clearly see that the very moment of debut of such an expensive and fuel-hungry car was unfortunate. The economic crisis had just engulfed the world, raw materials were getting increasingly expensive, which translated into product prices, including cars. Obviously, the work on the E24 car started long before the economic collapse, and luckily so! The risk undertaken by BMW management turned out to be worthwhile – thanks to the loyal customers of their brand for whom sky-rocketing fuel prices could not spoil their mood to the extent of making them give up the desire to buy this stunning (though not cheap to run) car model. Well, it has long been known that you must pay for style and sportiness. How much? In the mid-1980s one E24 M635 CSi used to cost the price of six comfortable, spacious and dignified Fiat Argenta vehicles.

As of today, is it possible to find another E24 in such a good condition? Of course, you may try, but not with a high probability of success. The ‘original in every detail’ E24 in its European version with a mileage around 50000 km is a white raven. We are talking about the model that, for years, people considered useful and perfect for everyday driving. After the lapse of time, when its price fell, it became one of the youth’s favourite cars. Extensive use – with driving styles not always consistent with common sense – after years led to the technical death of these vehicles. The ones that survived bear traces of the years of intensive exploitation, and fidelity to factory specifications leaves much to be desired.

The owner admits that during the years he devoted to his search he had seen perfectly maintained BMW E24s, but they were vehicles belonging to various collections. Not one of them had a mileage lower than 80000 km.

Today the BMW E24 is an appreciated classic. Nobody would consider a BMW rally complete without this car, but if you want to see a specimen in factory condition, leave the rallies alone. You will find one among the exhibits of the Bonaventura Classic Collection, and here, at your fingertips – in this album.